1 Preface
The traction power distribution control and monitoring system for the Railway ( Power SCADA System ) requires high reliability and real-time per-formance. The Power SCADA System therefore has been built with a focus on monitoring and control functions, as customers have been cautious about the induction of new devices into this system.
Smart phones and PC tablets have acquired solid marketing positions in the general customer market and many kinds of services are promoted for these smart devices. Nowadays, these devices are actively adopted as IT terminals by many com-panies. In some fields of business, PCs are being replaced by these smart devices.
Under such a technical background, portability of smart devices and abundant user-oriented inter-faces have come to be noticed in the field of Power SCADA Systems, and there are increasing market demands to actively utilize these smart devices for the Power SCADA System.
This paper introduces how our Power SCADA System has been enhanced to be smart device- friendly inside a power supply command center ( Command Center ). This development program was aimed at realizing smart visualization of the
system inside a Command Center and giving a new scalability of the system without sacrificing reliability and real-time performance.
2 Outline of Smart Device Friendly
Function
By making the system smart-device-friendly, the Power SCADA System can provide the smart visualization function of the stored data in the Power SCADA System and distribute the data to pre-regis-tered smart devices inside a Command Center. 2.1 Scope of Application
Our Power SCADA System can be used with smart devices. These smart devices are to be used inside a Command Center where security is assured. Fig. 1 shows the scope of the smart device friendly function.
2.2 Outline of Functions
The Smart Device Friendly Function of the Power SCADA System makes it possible for smart devices to browse system information previously monitored at a control console exclusively, and also to refer to related documents previously provided only on paper. In so doing, while utilizing the latest
［ Introduction of New Technologies ］
Making Power SCADA Ready for
Smart Devices inside a Command
Center
Masaru Muramatsu
Keywords Power SCADA, Smart device
Abstract
For traction power distribution control and monitoring system for Railway ( Power SCADA System ) requiring high reliability and real-time performance, there has been a movement toward standardizing and open architecture. How-ever, due to the strict concern regarding reliability and long-term maintenance, the market response has been relatively cautious in adopting new technologies and devices.
Meanwhile, IT-related systems with a different quality of required perfor-mance have rapidly progressed with standardization and open architecture. Recent improvement of hardware performance and growth of mobile-IT related technologies represented by smart devices have made it possible to reduce the gaps between both systems. By applying system building techniques based on a human-centered design for pursuing ease of use, we have developed a Power SCADA System that is ready for smart devices.
user interface, it can browse the unified system- related information by substantially reducing the physical restrictions more than ever before. Fig. 2
shows the site map.
3 Smart Device Friendly Function
Configuration
A gateway was installed for the purpose of information collection from the Power SCADA System. The gateway collects information from var-ious components of the Power SCADA System and distributes such information to smart devices via a wireless LAN. Fig. 3 shows an example of the con-nection configuration.
4 Features
The Smart Devices Friendly Function of Power SCADA System provides the following features: 4.1 Reliability and Real-Time Performance
We adopted the configuration of the Power SCADA System to avoid any impact on the system s
Power SCADA System Smart device-applicable gateway Smart device
Information is extracted from the Power SCADA System and this information is then distributed from the gateway unit.
Fig. 1 Scope of the Smart Device Friendly Function
LOGIN:
User authentication MENU: Top menu Full-Text Search: Texts of contents are searched.
SCADA information: Various SCADA information are displayed.
Overall power supply network mimic:
According to display processing data for SCADA servers, system diagrams are displayed on the screen.
Journal analysis:
Presentation of composite data: operation control record and journal.
Fault Recovery Support:
An error recovery function list and trouble-shooting sheet, the same as those of the control console, are displayed.
System Information:
System data such as train operation status, fault record, and working time are displayed.
Snapshot:
Screen printing images of the control console are displayed.
Instruction manual:
Presentation of instruction manuals in regard to search, table of contents, and bookmark.
Final contract-required documents file in PDF
Common data browsing:
Reference to customer data registered for fault recovery support.
SCADA Archives:
Perusal of related documents
General-Purpose Alarming: Twenty general-purpose time alarms can be set up. (Alarms beep at the system monitor.)
Setup:
Site setup and control
A list of functions available for smart devices is shown. Fig. 2 Site Map
Unit B of Power SCADA System (Control system) (Information system) Firewall Firewall Firewall Control room Wireless LAN access point Smart device Unit A of Power SCADA System Smart device-applicable gateway unit
A DMZ is set up and a gateway unit is provided. Connections are made available to smart devices by a wireless LAN.
reliability and real-time performance. Whenever the system is accessed from any smart device inside a Command Center, the contents are made available only by the gateway. Fig. 4 shows the data flow from the Power SCADA System to a smart device. 4.2 Security
Since the Power SCADA System is generally not connected to any external network, security measures were taken to avoid any new vulnerability of network security while making the system friendly to smart devices.
(1) De-Militarized Zone (DMZ)
A DMZ is set up inside the Power SCADA System so that direct accessing is prohibited from a smart device to any area other than the gateway. (2) Wireless-LAN Security Measures
(a) Access limitation by MAC address filtering function
(b) Password setup for wireless access point (c) Concealment of ESSID
For an installation site of a wireless LAN access point, a frequency band is to be used and channels will be determined after the completion of a site survey via radio waves inside the Command Center. Fig. 5 shows a radio strength map (image). (3) Limitation of contents access
A User-ID and password is needed when gain-ing access to the contents. User sessions are administered by the system.
(4) Security measures for the gateway system We adopted security measures against unknown network security threats. For this purpose, we adopted the security software, AhnLab WhiteShied for MEIDEN. This software is of the white list type and it does not require updating of pattern files. 4.3 Reliability and Maintenance Period
In order to assure the same reliability level and
maintenance period (15 years of operation under 24/7/365) for the Power SCADA System, an indus-trial component is used for the gateway so that infor-mation about system error can be monitored by the system.
Since smart devices are rapidly improving and changing, we adopted general-purpose products. We applied a development method in which the contents are produced based on HTML5 and can be accessed with browser software.
4.4 Human Centered Design (HCD)
We have been building systems aiming for ease of use based on the HCD method. In the development of Smart Device Friendly Function of the Power SCADA System, we applied the HCD method for user interface design aiming to total quality improvement.
5 Outline of Distribution Contents
In order to gain access to the contents, users need to log-in to the system. Fig. 6 shows the log-in screen and Fig. 7 shows the menu screen.
5.1 Full-Text Search
Full-text search can be done for the PDF doc-uments in the gateway.
Fig. 8 shows the full-text search screen and
Fig. 9 shows an example of full-text search result. 5.2 Overall Power Supply Network Display
This shows the display similar to the Traction Power Supply Network mimic available at the con-trol console. The display status of equipment retained at the server is taken into the gateway.
Data-interlinked programs
Data
gathering Webserver Smart device-ready
gateway unit Generalbrowser Equipment of
Power SCADA System
Smart device
Data are accumulated in the smart device-ready gateway unit through data-interlinked programs of various units.
Fig. 4 Flow of Data from Power SCADA System to Smart Device
Conditions of reception are investigated in advance in the area inside the Command Center where smart devices are to be used. This diagram shows an example of a visualized reception level from a wireless LAN access point.
5.3 Journal Analysis
This is a composite display of the operation control record and journal based on the association between them. Fig. 10 shows the result of a journal search.
(1) Available search conditions (a) Period
(b) Search post
(2) Association setup function between the opera-tion control record and journal
(3) Save function
5.4 Fault Recovery Support
This displays the same contents as a list of fault recovery support functions and a trouble-shooting sheet that can be accessed at the command console.
User authentication is needed to gain access to the contents. Fig. 6 Log-in Screen
A thumbnail indication of present situation is shown in part of the display on the screen.
Fig. 7 Menu Screen
A keyword is entered in the screen for the full-text search. Fig. 8 Full-Text Search Screen
The search results are highlighted.
Fig. 9 Example of Full-Text Search Result
When search conditions are entered, both the corresponding opera-tion control records and the journals are simultaneously retrieved.
5.5 System Information
The following information is displayed as sys-tem data. The display is updated in the same man-ner as that for the overall power supply network mimic.
(1) Status of power network operation (2) System error records
(3) Various information about the gateway (Start time, information gathering time, and disk capacity) 5.6 Snapshot
An output image of Print Screen shown in the control console can be seen on a smart device.
Fig. 11 shows a list of snapshot screens.
(1) Display of thumbnail (2) Editing
(a) Addition of titles (b) Creation of folders (c) Transfer
(d) Deletion
5.7 General-Purpose Alarming
Twenty alarm timers can be set. Alarm sound will be generated from a speaker at the preset time. 5.8 Related Document Browsing
This displays instruction manuals, a set of final documents and common shared documents.
6 Postscript
By developing the Smart Device Friendly Function, we aimed for and realized the smart visu-alization of data accumulated in the Power SCADA System in the control room without sacrificing reli-ability and real-time performance of the system. From now on, we will proceed with specific investi-gation about the utilization of this system from out-side of the Power SCADA control room such as a substation.
Lastly, we would like to thank all related individ-uals who have given us precious suggestions and cooperation during the development of this system.
・ All product and company names mentioned in this paper are the trademarks and/or service marks of their respective owners. Screen printout images can be shared with smart devices.
